


2018 Recruitment, Emerald Bay Lifeguards

by masterroadtripper



Category: Baywatch (2017)
Genre: A lot less majestic, Baywatch but not Baywatch, Conflict, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Written by a lifeguard, day in the life, lifeguarding, more realistic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-05 05:37:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14037336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/masterroadtripper/pseuds/masterroadtripper
Summary: Yuri is a young, unemployed high school grad who has trained to be on Baywatch since he could remember.  Now that he's on the team, how long will he stay?





	1. All muscle

Yuri pulled on his tight black rash guard in the beachside changerooms. Rifling through his backpack to find his goggles, he heard a toilet flush from behind him. Taking no notice to the mountain of a man that had appeared beside him, Yuri continued the search for his allusive goggles.

“Are you trying out for Baywatch?” the man washing his hands two sinks down asked. For the first time, Yuri turned and looked at the man. He was huge. Yuri figured that if he cloned himself and them stood shoulder to shoulder with the clone, their combined shoulders would be as wide as this guy. And he was built like a brick house. All muscle. The guy was also in a red skin tight shirt that read “lifeguard.”

“I am,” Yuri replied and started pulling items out of his swim bag. He definitely put those stupid goggles in here this morning. He checked twice.

“Good luck,” the man said, clapping him on the back before heading out of the changeroom area. Yuri waited until he heard the door shut to cough and try to catch his breath. The dude just winded him. Jeez. He would be too under-muscled for the job.

 

“Go, swim!” two lifeguards yelled from the back of a yellow and red jet ski. Swimming at the front of the pack, Yuri kept his head down and moved. Around a massive red inflated buoy he swam and was glad he had upturned his bag. The goggles were at the bottom. It would be impossible to see where he was going otherwise. Actually, it was hard to see anyways. Fifty people aged eighteen to thirty were all swimming at the same time, competing for the same singular job position. The water was clouded with the bubbles of splashing feet and Yuri could barely see a yard in front of him. But once they got back to the beach, they had to run. On the brutally hot sand. Energy drained from the swim, Yuri fought to say at the front of the group. His lungs burned and he could barely feel his legs. But he kept going.

After the swim, jog, climb, crawl and first aid evaluations, Yuri headed to the showers. Rinsing the grime of the ocean out of his hair, he managed to dress before many of the other candidates made their way into the shower area. When his trunks and shirt were bundled up in a towel and less likely to soak his entire bag, Yuri headed back out into the hot midday climate of Emerald Bay California.

“Hey man,” Yuri heard someone call from behind him. Turning to face the voice, he recognized the man as one of the Baywatch lifeguards from Tower 1. The one yelling at him during the rope climb to use his legs.

“Hi,” Yuri said, pausing his walk home along the beach. Changing shoulders with his duffel bag, he shook hands with the lifeguard. The lifeguard wore a red shirt and shorts. His hair was black and had eyes as green as the seaweed in the ocean just feet away stared into his brown ones and Yuri felt awkward.

“Where you headed?” the middle aged lifeguard asked.

“Home. Bay Crest Drive,” Yuri offered by way of explanation.

“I’m headed that direction, to Tower 3, if you want some company,” the lifeguard asked. Yuri shrugged a reply and they started their walk towards the tower.

“Easton Weaver,” the lifeguard said out of the blue and it took Yuri too long to figure out that he was introducing himself.

“Yuri Vasilyev,” he replied.

“Russian?” Weaver asked, not removing his eyes from the ocean to their right. Always on alert, always ready to help.

“Yup. Never been there though,” Yuri replied.

As they approached the tower, Weaver said, “You did good today kid. You have what it takes to be one of us. If you aren’t selected this time, next time you should be able to do it.”

“Thanks man,” Yuri replied, shaking Weaver’s hand before they parted ways.


	2. Home

“I’m home,” Yuri called as he pulled open the door to the small beach house.

“Yuri!” he heard Annie call as she ran through the single storey house. The quick thump of small feet alerted him to the direction and force of Annie only seconds before the four year old girl plowed into him. Dropping his bag, he lifted his four year old half-sister above his head, arms and shoulders protesting the entire time. He had really exerted himself on that beach. But he did enjoy every second of it. Hopefully whoever was selecting the new hire agreed with the lifeguard’s choice.

Settling Annie on his hip, Yuri grabbed his bag and walked through the house to find their shared father.

“Hey dad,” Yuri said, pulling open the screen door separating the house from the outdoors. Their dad was sitting at the outdoor table with his laptop. Across from the laptop sat a pile of scrap paper and various crayons. Annie’s drawings.

“Yuri,” he replied, turning away from the screen, “how did it go?”

“Great, the posting will be out tomorrow,” Yuri answered, settling Annie down on the deck under the shade of the awning they built last summer.

“Good to hear,” he said, taking a sip of his lemonade and closing the lid of the laptop.

“When will Renee be home?” Yuri asked, wondering when his step mother would get back from work.

“Soon,” his father replied before heading into the house.

Yuri was infinitely grateful for Renee Holmes. After his birth mother overdosed when he was twelve, his father fell into a pit of despair and self hatred. For whatever reason, Alexey Vasilyev blamed himself for the drug induced death of his wife. But from what Yuri remembered of his mother, she would disappear for weeks at a time, then come back a completely different person. And his father always allowed her back. Yet, he blamed himself when she never came home that last time. So for six months, he buried himself into a hole. Until Yuri left school swim club early one day without telling anyone and everyone panicked. Yuri had just walked down to the beach to get away from his classmates. But in a weird twist of fate, Alexey met Emerald Bay Police Sergeant Renee Holmes. A year and a half later they married and Annie was born nine months later.


	3. The Posting

“Annie, wanna come for a walk?” Yuri asked the next morning.

“Yes!” she shrieked before turning to Renee and asking, “Mommy can I go with Yuri?”

“Of course darling,” she replied from her place on the coach with a cup of tea and a book. It was her day off and while Yuri knew she would want to spend time with her daughter, he really wanted to go see the Baywatch posting.

Helping Annie get on her sandals, Yuri watched Renee walk over slowly, like she was sore. When putting on a questioning look to silently ask _are you alright?_ Renee just nodded her head and smiled as if to say _I’m good_. Yuri didn’t believe her, but he wouldn’t discuss it in front of Annie.

“Alright Annie, give your mom a hug,” Yuri said once he finished attaching the sandals to her tiny squirming feet. After Annie hugged Renee, Yuri got a hug as well, Renee saying, “good luck.”

“Thanks,” he replied as Annie pulled open the front door.

 

They walked down to the beach before heading north towards Tower 1. As they passed Tower 3, Yuri heard a semi familiar voice call his name. Easton Weaver. For some strange reason, he kind of was looking forward to seeing the black haired lifeguard again.

“Hey man,” Weaver said as he ran - barefooted - up to Yuri and Annie, “Come to check the postings?”

“Yah,” Yuri said, bending over to pick up Annie so they could walk at an adult pace instead of a four year old pace. She settled into the crook of his arm easily.

“Have you seen the posting yet?”

“Not yet, haven’t been down to Tower 1 yet,” Weaver replied, adjusting the backpack he had on, “I’m rotating up there now. You came at a good time.”

“I guess I did,” Yuri said laughing.

“Who is this little one?” Weaver asked, looking behind Yuri’s back where Annie had draped herself.

“My little sister Annie,” Yuri replied and was almost thrown off balance by Annie forcefully sitting up and adding, “We have the same daddy.” Yuri pursed his lips and nodded in confirmation at the statement when Weaver looked at him questioningly.

“Same dad, different mom,” Yuri clarified, “We’re working on her discretion.” As they approached Tower 1, a lifeguard slightly older than Weaver ran out in their direction.

“Who is this East?” Said lifeguard was shorter than both Weaver and Yuri, but considerably more bulky. Muscle wise. His hair was blond on the top - likely dyed - and brown on the sides - natural - and had super blue eyes.

“Yuri Vasilyev,” Weaver said.

“I would offer to shake your hand, but I don’t have a free one,” Yuri added before checking on Annie. It seemed like she had fallen asleep.

“Matt Brody,” the lifeguard said before asking, “Come to see the posting?”

“Yah,” Yuri replied, shifting Annie in his arms. The three men started to walk in the direction of the big navy blue notice board at the front of Tower 1. Rounding the corner to see the front, Yuri noticed the big red notice stapled to the wood. _Baywatch Posting_ it read.

Underneath, it said his name.

“Oh my gosh!” Yuri said, startling Annie. He made it. He did it. The months of training leading up to this moment, the early mornings and late nights, all seemed worth it now.

“Congrats man,” Weaver said, extending his hand to Yuri’s now unoccupied one.

Getting a congratulatory handshake from both the lifeguards, Brody offered, “Why don’t you come and get your gear.”

“Sounds good,” Yuri said, following Brody and Weaver towards the door that read “staff only.”

Climbing up the stairs, Yuri heard a soft voice ask, “Did you win Yuri?” It was Annie. “Yah, I did Annie,” Yuri whispered to his mostly asleep little sister. Patting her head and smoothing down her light blond curls. The same ones they shared with their father. Settling into the crook of his neck again, he felt her shift and likely fall asleep again.


	4. New Recruit

“Mitch, I found our new recruit,” Brody said as he pulled open the door at the top of the stairs. The massive man from the locker room the day before turned from his stance at the bay of windows looking over the beach.

“Yuri,” the tanned man said, extending his hand towards him, “Mitch Buchannon.”

“He’s the boss,” Brody said but Weaver added, “Not the real boss, but the one that actually gets things done.” Buchannon laughed and moved slightly behind Brody.

“How many of the rest of the crew have you met?” Buchannon asked.

“Just you, Brody and Weaver,” Yuri replied.

“Where are the girls?” Brody asked, turning to the large man standing quite close behind him and looking into his eyes.

“Tower 2. Ronnie and Tommy are down at 3 for the next half hour.” Buchannon replied. When Brody leaned back into the solid mass that Buchannon’s chest and the larger man leaned forward, Yuri didn’t notice. He was too busy looking around the office. There was an overwhelming amount of navy blue. Anything that could be painted, the walls, the floors, the tables, the chairs, they were all painted the dark color. The walls also had a few layers of posters of all kinds on them. Posters for training sign ups, wildlife notices and lists of equipment that needed replacement.

“Hey man, this is yours,” Weaver said, passing him a red backpack that read Lifeguard in big white letters across the front. Yuri took the bag and slung it over the shoulder Annie wasn’t leaning on.

“Your uniform, hoodie, whistle, rescue tube and legal docs are in there,” Brody said while Buchannon added, “you need to sign those papers and bring them into the Emerald Bay Municipal Center as soon as you can. Your training will begin tomorrow morning at six.”

“How do you say your last name?” Weaver asked.

“Vas-il-yuh-ev,” Yuri replied and smiled as the three other men tried to imitate the Russian last name. They failed less than gracefully.

“Can we call you Yuri?” Brody asked. Yuri nodded in agreeance. It sounded like a better plan.

“On that topic, what do you want me to call you guys?” Yuri asked. He had assumed they went by their last names.

“Mitch, Brody and East,” Buchannon - Mitch now - said, pointing at each of them, “Eventually you’ll meet Ronnie, CJ, Tommy and Summer.”

“Summer,” Annie muttered quietly against Yuri’s shoulder, shifting to get more comfortable, “That’s a pretty name Yuri.” Yuri rubbed his hand on her back to try to settle her.

“Who is this little princess?” Mitch asked, stepping from his position behind Brody to smile at Annie.

“My half sister Annie,” Yuri replied, setting her down onto the ground.

“Shit,” Brody swore, “I thought she was your daughter or something.”

“Dude, I’m only eighteen,” Yuri exclaimed with a laugh.


	5. It's 2018

Tower 1 was luxury compared to Towers 2 and 3. Not that you would ever hear Yuri complain. He got onto Baywatch didn’t he?

“Are the jump bags ready to go?” Brody asked as Yuri opened the door to the semi air conditioned building on stilts also known as Tower 3.

“Yup. Filled and sealed,” Yuri replied before grabbing a waterproof motorola radio. He clipped it onto the waistband of his navy blue shorts before turning his gaze to the ocean. The ocean was quiet this morning. Waves were calming from the night and had not yet picked up to their usual mid-day height, so surfers were scarce. Few families were out at this time and the only real hazards were the elderly folks strolling down the beach.

“So, you still in school?” Brody asked before taking a healthy swig of whatever brown colored shake he had in his bottle at five in the morning.

“Nope, graduated high school in June, working here to save money for college,” Yuri replied, not taking his eyes off the ocean, “How about you?”

“No, I’ve been out of school for a while my friend. Never went to University, just straight onto life. Last time I sat in a class was over a decade ago,” Brody replied. He turned around and opened the cabinet at the back of the tiny building. A blue rubbermaid was placed on the table next to the radio chargers and Brody cracked the lid. He passed Yuri a pair of binoculars and said, “We have jurisdiction over the waters until our jet skis and boats can’t get out any farther. You need to get good at boat watching.”

Yuri raised the binoculars to his eyes and just saw blurry blueness. “I can’t see shit,” Yuri said pulling them away from his eyes and observing the knobs and dials on the top of plastic binoculars. Brody just laughed. “It’s not funny,” Yuri grumbled as he put his eyes against the binoculars again.

“Kinda was,” Brody muttered through giggles.

“Was not,” Yuri said but started laughing instead. Once Yuri stopped laughing they stood in comfortable silence. Yuri just watched the bay and smiled. A year ago, he would have never dreamt this a possibility in his life. He had been working as a Lifeguard/Swim Instructor at the Emerald Bay YMCA for two and a half years when he saw the posting for Baywatch. Only seventeen at the time, Yuri was not able to apply and instead went down to the beach to watch the tryouts. He memorized the course, the skills, the places where people had trouble and then every morning before school ran the course. Those four thirty mornings at the beach payed off.

“Whatcha thinking about?” Brody asked, taking another large swig of his drink.

“How I got here. I watched the tryouts last year,” Yuri said, pulling the binoculars to his eyes to take a peek at a boat floating just past the boating line. Once he confirmed that they were just fishers, he turned his attention to the sand.

“Summer, Ronnie and I were the new recruits last year,” Brody said as a side note.

“Three of you?” Yuri asked.

“Yah, two of the previous guards married and moved to San Diego, the other joined the Police Department,” Brody replied.

“What did you do before Baywatch? I mean, you said you’ve been out of school for over a decade,” Yuri asked.

“I was in the olympics. London and Rio,” Brody said curtly and left it at that. Yuri always had watched the olympics, but never really remembered anything about it after the fact. But for some reason, now that Brody had made the connection to the olympics, he seemed more familiar. Maybe Brody had won a gold of some sort.

“What did you swim? If you don’t mind,” he asked, but left an out for Brody.

“Freestyle and Relay. Did you swim club?” Brody replied and asked.

“No, just did lessons, got my lifeguarding and teaching and worked at the YMCA.”

“Well, you did really well on the swimming portion of the tryouts, you had me fooled.” They stood in silence for a while before Brody headed out onto the sand to check the truck they had parked outside.

 

At shift rotation time, Yuri watched Mitch and East walking down the beach towards their tower through the binoculars. Damn did East look good in his bathing suit trunks today. _Where did that come from?_ But it was true. He just never really noticed things like that before.

“See something you like?” Brody’s voice came from behind him. Yuri yelped and threw down the binoculars. He hadn’t heard the older lifeguard enter the tower.

“No,” Yuri protested, yet he felt like that argument point was not valid, given he had just been being a weirdo and watching his coworker through his binoculars.

“It’s not a problem, you know,” Brody said, “Its 2018.”


End file.
